Joint for attaching members and bed frame

ABSTRACT

A joint for attaching members which is easily manufactured, has few parts and is readily connected and disconnected and a bed frame utilizing said joint. The bed frame comprises two pairs of first and second members which are attached to one another by said joint. Each of the first members have on each end a first groove and a first tongue. Each of the second members have on the end thereof a second groove and a second tongue. The second tongue of the end member cooperates with the first groove of the first member to prevent movement of the second member along the longitudinal axis of the first member. The first tongue of the first member cooperates with the second groove of the second member to prevent the second member from moving transversely with respect to the first member. Each of the first and second members are attached in the same manner and may therefore by easily assembled and disassembled.

ited States Patent [191 atts [111 3,822,423 July 9, 1974 JOINT FOR ATIACHING MEMBERS AND BED FRAME [75] Inventor: Edwin B. Watts, Lombard, Ill. [73] Assignee: Sealy, Inc., Chicago, Ill.

22 Filed: .May 16, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 360,957

Related U.S.Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 281,108, Aug. 16,

1972, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl 5/201, 5/282 R, 5/286,

297/440, 403/345,211/176 [51] int. Cl...., A47c 19/00, A47c 4/02, [58] Field of Search 5/110, 201, 282286,'

5/345 WB; 211/136," 176; 297/440; 287/2092 T; 403/219, 345, 381

[56] References Cited;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,954,242 4/1934 'Heppenstall 403/381 2,520,221 8/1950 Ponty 403/381 3,683,429 8/1972 Mis 5/201 3,736,605 6/1973 Klein, Jr. 5/348 WB Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg [57] ABSTRACT A joint .for attaching members which is easily manufactured, has few parts and is readily connected and disconnected and a bed frame utilizing said joint. The bed frame comprises two pairs of first and second members which are attached to one another by said joint. Each of the first members have on each end a first groove and a first tongue. Each of the second members have on the end thereof a second groove and a second tongue. The second tongue of the end member cooperates with the first groove of the first member to prevent movement of the second member along the longitudinal axis of the first member. The first tongue of the first member cooperates with the second groove of the second member to prevent the second member from moving transversely with respect to the first member. Each of the first and second members are attached in the same manner and may therefore by easily assembled and disassembled.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures JOINT FOR ATTACHING MEMBERS AND BED FRAME This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending application by Edwin B. Watts; Ser. No. 281,108 filed Aug. 16, 1972 and assigned to the assignee of the present application now abandoned.

This application relates to a joint for attaching the members of, for example, a bed frame and a bed frame made of members attached .by such a joint.

Beds generally comprise a box spring, a mattress and a bed frame. The box spring rests on the bed frame and the mattress upon the box spring. It is desirable that the bed frame be easy to manufacture, and have a minimum number of parts, and be easily assembled and disassembled. I v 1 It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bed frame which is easy to manufacture and has a minimum number of parts.

It is a further object to provide a bed frame which is easy to assemble and disassemble.

- It is another object to provide a joint for members of,

for example, a bed frame which will permit the members to be readily assembled and disassembled.

The present invention provides a joint formernbers of, for example, a bed frame which permits the members to be easily manufactured, and readily assembled and disassembled. The joint by which the members are I attached permits each member of, for example, the bed frame to-be molded as a single, integral piece and to slidably engage with and to slidably disengage from the other members to which it isattached. The joint provides rigid attachment between the members inboth a longitudinal and transverse direction.

The invention, its construction .and method of operation, along with other objects and advantages, will be best appreciated by reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box spring and mattress resting upon a bed frame embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the joint formed by an end member and a side member of the bed frame of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the side member FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a box spring and mattress 12 which have been placed upon a bed frame embodying the features of the present invention and indicated generally by reference numeral 14. The bed frame 14 comprises two side members 16 and two end members 18. The side members 16 and end members 18 are unitary elements which have been molded in a two-part mold from suitable plastic or metal and thus are easy to manufacture and have a minimum number of parts. Each end of the side member 16 is adapted to be interlocked with an end member 18. The side members 16 and end members 18 are slidingly attachable to one another to assemble the base the end member shown in shown in 14 and are slidingly detachable from one another to 2 a dirt and the like from accumulating under the bed. The box spring 10 has a downwardly extending skirt to partially conceal the bed frame 14 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS; 2 through 4, the joint interlocking the side members 16 and the end members 18 in accordance with the present invention will be discussed in greater detail. The side member 16 has a vertically extending groove 20 which in this particular embodiment has two segments 20a and 20b. These grooves 20a and- 20b open toward the interior of the bed frame 14. Each of the grooves 20a and 2012 has a side wall 200 and 20d, respectively, which is slanted inwardly so as to reduce the width of the grooves 20a and 20b toward their respective lower ends. Extending outwardly in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the side member 16 is a tongue 22 which runs from the top of the side member 16 to within a short distance from the bottom of the side member 16, e.g., from one-half inch to 2 inches, where it terminates at a stop surface 24 formed by a longitudinally'extending projection 25.

and 26b toward their respective lower ends. These tongues 26a and 26b extend outwardly in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the side member 18 and are adapted to extend into the grooves 20a and 2012, respectively. Also extending outwardly in a longitudinal direction is a vertically extending projection 28 which forms a groove 32. The projection 28 begins below the tongue 26a andterminates above the tongue 26b in a stop surface 30. This design permits the use of a two-part mold. The groove 32 opens toward the interior of the bed frame 14 and is adapted to receive the tongue 22 of the side member 16.

The side member 16 and the end member'18 are interlocked by inserting the tongue 22 into the groove 32 such that the tongues 26a and 26b are positioned above the grooves 20a and 20b, respectively. The end member 18 is then moved downwardly so that the tongues 26a and 26b slide into grooves 20a and 20b, respectively, until the stop surface 30 contacts the stop surface 24. As detailed, by virtue of their shape, the tongues 26a and 26b wedge into the grooves 20a and 20b, respectively, and draw the projection 28 against the locking surface 34. The tongue 22 in the groove 32 prevents the side member 16 from moving along the longitudinal axis of the end member 18 and the tongues 26a and 26b in the grooves 20a and 20b,'respectively, prevent the side member 16 from moving transversely with respect to the end member 18. Also, the tongues 26a and 26b cooperate with the grooves 20a and 20b to draw the projection 28 into frictional locking engagement with the mating'surface 34. In this manner, the ends of the members 16 and 18 are locked in both a longitudinal and transverse direction with respect to one another.

As the tongue 26a enters the groove 20a, the side wall 260 of the tongue 26a acts on the side wall 200 of the groove 20a and as a result, the mating surface 28a of the vertical projection 28 of the end member 18 is drawn against the vertical locking surface 34 positioned adjacent to the tongue 22 on the side member 16. In a similar manner, the side wall 26d of the tongue 26b at the same time acts on the side wall 20d of the groove 20b to draw the mating surface 28a of the projection 28 against the locking surface 34. The projection 28 provides a mating means for engaging the locking surface 34. Thus, as the end member 18 is moved downwardly, the tongues 26a and 26b act on the grooves 20a and 20b to draw the projection 28 increasingly tighter against the locking surface 34.

As the engagement of the projection 28 with the locking surface 34 becomes tighter, a point is reached where no further downward movement of the end member 18 with respect to the side member 16 can occur due to the frictional locking of the projection 28 with the locking surface 34. Thus, the frictional locking between the projection 28 and the locking surface 34 serves as a primary stop to limit downward movement of the end member 18 with respect to the side member 16. The positioning of the primary stop resulting from the frictional locking of the projection 28 and the locking surface 34 can be varied by controlling the dimensions of the tongues 26a and 26b in cooperation with the grooves 20a and 20b as well as the dimensions of the projection 28 and the locking surface 34.

The stop surface 30 on the end member 18 and the stop surface 24 provide a secondary, positive stop between the end member 18 and the side member 16. Preferably, the stop surface 30 and the stop surface 24 abut one another at a position which substantially coincides with the primary stop produced by the frictional locking between the tongue 28 and the locking surface 34, and provide a smooth exterior surface on the bed frame 14. When the stop surfaces 30 and 24 are in abutment, the tongues 26a and 26b preferably fit snuggly within the grooves 200 and 20b, respectively.

Preferably, the vertical projection 28, and particularly the mating surface 28a, is drawn into frictional locking engagement with the locking surface 34 by the tongues 26a and 26b acting on the grooves 20a and 20b, respectively. However, it will be appreciated that by an appropriate change of dimensions surface 22a of the tongue 22 could be drawn into frictional locking engagement with the groove 32 in a similar menner. Additionally, the tongue 22 could be drawn into frictional locking engagement with the groove 32 at the same time that the projection 28 is drawn into frictional locking engagement with the locking surface 34.

All the members of the bed frame 14 are attached in the same manner. The members 16 and 18 may be disassembled by reversing the process. Although the members 16 and 18 have been described herein as the side members and end members, respectively, it will be understood that the members 16 and 18 could be the side members and end members, respectively, of the bed frame.

It will be understood that the joint described and il lustrated herein may be used to attach members for many different types of equipment, furniture and the like and is not limited to use with members of a bed frame.

While the embodiment described herein is at present considered to be preferred, it is understood that various modifications and improvements may be made, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and improvements as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A bed frame comprising two pairs of first and second members, each of said first members having on each end thereof a first groove and a first tongue, each of said second members having on the end thereof a second groove and a second tongue, said second tongue cooperating with said first groove to prevent movement of said second member along the longitudinal axis of said first member, and said first tongue cooperating with said second groove to prevent said second member from moving transversely with respect to said first member.

2. The bed frame of claim 1 wherein said first tongue extends outwardly of an end of said first member in the direction of said longitudinal axis thereof and said first groove opens inwardly of said bed frame and transversely of said longitudinal axis of said first member, and said second tongue extends outwardly of an end of said second member in the direction of said longitudinal axis thereof and said second groove opens inwardly of said bed frame and transversely of said longitudinal axis of said second member.

3. The bed frame of claim 2 wherein each of said first members and each of said second members have stop surfaces on each end thereof which may abut one another to prevent further sliding of said tongues in said grooves.

4. The bed frame of claim 3 wherein said grooves and tongues are vertically extending and said stop surfaces are horizontally extending.

5. The bed frame of claim 4 wherein said second tongues and said first grooves are wedge-shaped and said second tongue is wedged into said first groove to prevent movement of said second member along the longitudinal axis of said first member.

6. A bed frame comprising two pairs of first and second members, each of said first members having on each end thereof a first groove and a first tongue, each of said second members having on each end thereof a second groove and a second tongue, said first members further having on each end thereof a locking surface and said second members having mating means for engaging said locking surface, said second tongue cooperating with said first groove to draw said mating means into frictional locking engagement with said locking surface and prevent movement of said second member along the longitudinal axis of said first member, and said first tongue cooperating with said second groove to prevent said second member from moving transversely with respect to said first member.

7. The bed frame of claim 6 wherein said second tongue and said first groove are wedge-shaped and said second tongue is wedged into said first groove to draw said mating means into locking engagement with said locking surface. 

1. A bed frame comprising two pairs of first and second members, each of said first members having on each end thereOf a first groove and a first tongue, each of said second members having on the end thereof a second groove and a second tongue, said second tongue cooperating with said first groove to prevent movement of said second member along the longitudinal axis of said first member, and said first tongue cooperating with said second groove to prevent said second member from moving transversely with respect to said first member.
 2. The bed frame of claim 1 wherein said first tongue extends outwardly of an end of said first member in the direction of said longitudinal axis thereof and said first groove opens inwardly of said bed frame and transversely of said longitudinal axis of said first member, and said second tongue extends outwardly of an end of said second member in the direction of said longitudinal axis thereof and said second groove opens inwardly of said bed frame and transversely of said longitudinal axis of said second member.
 3. The bed frame of claim 2 wherein each of said first members and each of said second members have stop surfaces on each end thereof which may abut one another to prevent further sliding of said tongues in said grooves.
 4. The bed frame of claim 3 wherein said grooves and tongues are vertically extending and said stop surfaces are horizontally extending.
 5. The bed frame of claim 4 wherein said second tongues and said first grooves are wedge-shaped and said second tongue is wedged into said first groove to prevent movement of said second member along the longitudinal axis of said first member.
 6. A bed frame comprising two pairs of first and second members, each of said first members having on each end thereof a first groove and a first tongue, each of said second members having on each end thereof a second groove and a second tongue, said first members further having on each end thereof a locking surface and said second members having mating means for engaging said locking surface, said second tongue cooperating with said first groove to draw said mating means into frictional locking engagement with said locking surface and prevent movement of said second member along the longitudinal axis of said first member, and said first tongue cooperating with said second groove to prevent said second member from moving transversely with respect to said first member.
 7. The bed frame of claim 6 wherein said second tongue and said first groove are wedge-shaped and said second tongue is wedged into said first groove to draw said mating means into locking engagement with said locking surface. 